West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-10-06
THE CASKETS KEY.
BY LUCY II. HOOPER.


consult authorities before beginning his
projected tragedy of Caesar Borgia. - !. a
friends and relatives i'm New York ySere
Tar from anticipating the actual results
oi ms researches. These had brought
about his acquaintance with certain
Dr. Alexander Marini, an aged physician
oil Milan. who claimed descent from ONE
oi The collateral branches of the Borpia
family. This old doctors grand. daughter
IucreLia Marini, was wonderfully beauti
ful, an Italian blonde, glowing with
the freshness of extreme youth. being
then hardly seventeen, and with all the
iuStre oil lovel ness which. as her
grandfather declared, revived and repro
duced the charms Of her OF the same
name who was the famous bride OF Duke
ALFONSO oi ferrara. The tragedy re-
mained uuwrittcn. and Chester EenbrooL
took to wife this dazzling creature IT.
wedding IN haste, he afterwards repeutel
at leisure, the outside word was dos.
tined never to know. His married life
lasted little over one year. His brill
lant Italian wife died in giving birth IN
SON. and the young widoWer returre I
TO ms native land with his little child
possibly wiser man, but certainly a
sadder one. 1T was an ominous fact that
he never referred to his wife in any wav
nor to the experiences Of his few months
of matrimony. miniature. painted ON
ivory and reproducing the glowing vet
delicate beauty OF the fair Iucrezia was
all that remained to him of that episode
In ms lie. That, and the boy who had
received the name of Louis, and who
Dore well ms transfer to the UnitcI
states, growing and thriving rs though
ne had been born under the shadow of
the Stars and Stripes.
When Louis was a little over twelve
years OF age his father died suddenly OF
typhoid pneumonia He had one only
sister, Mrs. Richard Marsden. aud 10 b"r
and her husband he beoueathed tho
guardianship Of his son and that sons
Aarge fortune. 1t was a healthy. naturcd
ana happy family in which the boy ore ~
TO manhood. Mrs. Marsdcn's three sons
were all oder than Louis, and did not. il
Is true, take very kindly to their cousin
bnt her only daughter, little Grace was
some years ms Junior, and, as is often
the case in such instances with i'm
telllgent, precocious little girls. she de-
Veloped great fancy for her moody how
cousin regularly took him under her pr6-
lection ~
The poor boy needed all the affection
that could possibly be bestowed upon
MN. He was never strong, and his dis
position was gloomy and morbid to a de
gree that was extraordinary in one that
was TO 50 great degree favorite Of for
tune lie was shy and silent TO painful,
extent, and, despite his Italian ORIG n
he developed no taste for either orf or
music. He decided early in life to mo.
come physician, but, after studvino
medicine Tor some few years in a desulforv
ianguid way, deyoting the chief part of
ms time to investigations concerning the
nature and properties Of poisons, he sud
denly announced that, on attaininp his
majority ne had made up his mind 10 re-
hnquish all idea of studyin 2 a profession
Ana ne likewise astonished Mr.. and Mrs
Marsden making formal proposals for
the hand of Grace.
These proposals were negatived at
once, and decidedly, by Mr. Marsden.
You are both of you too young to
thlnS OF such thing as marriage. or
even OF an engagement, Louis" " his
uncle made answer. "You are only iust
twenty one, and Grace is but a few
weeks over sixteen. Moreover / have
first cousins"
on do not know TO what Won door,
me, uncle" was the gloomy response of
the young man. "Grace is all thai 7
have to live for upon earth, and if lose
her -"
Now, do not talk nonsense. louis -
responded Richard Marsden. brisklv. but
not unkindly. "Grace is too much of a
child TO be allowed 10 listen TO vour
PrOHers OF affection. She cares no more
lot you than she does for Ned, or Harry
or Frank. You are like brother TO her
-notmng mOre-and / do not mean 10
have her mind disturbed by apvtbing
like love-making. Besides Won have
seen nothing Of the world, as you should
90 before choosing a wife and settling
down to matrimony and quietude CO
abroad spend the next two years in
european travel, and then"
And then you will give Grace to me2y
eagerly asked the youth, his pale face
hushing and his dark eyes glowing as he
~ make no promise; will enter into
no compact with you ON that subject.
fou and Grace must both be entirely
free, and II either Of Won sbonld III ~
love with some one else
81 cannot admit the existence of s,,ct,
a possibility as far az I am concerned y
Louis made answer, passionatelv.
Nevertheless such things are possible
and have often occurred. especially
where two such children as you both are
were concerned. Now let me hear moth
ing more on this subject shall send
Grace to stay with her aunt. Mrs.
Elavyn, in Washington, until YOU are
gone and shall feel seriously displcased
with you II you broach 70 her any sub
lect connected with love and matrimonv
before her departure
And 30 well aud carefully did Mrs
Marsden (who was at once acquainted bv
her husband with all the details of The
ahair) watch over her daughter tbet
Grace vert away for her visit wholly nm
conscious Of the conquest she had mode
OF her cousins affections She was. To-
tell the truth, go delighted at the idea of
journey TO Washington, Of a soiourn
with her iavorite aunt (whose daughter
Alice was about her own aQo), and of
ali the things she meant to see and do
that she lost sight Of the fact that Cousin
~